Condenser apparatus

ABSTRACT

Condenser apparatus for removing moisture from the air including a housing for the condenser apparatus, which housing has both a cooling liquid inlet and an air inlet at one end. Within the housing is a condensing chamber and a rotatable disc spaced inwardly from the liquid inlet so that when the disc is rotated and liquid is impinged upon the disc a cooling liquid droplet cloud is produced in the condensing chamber. At the opposite end of the condenser housing from the inlet is an air outlet and a concentrically positioned rotatable blower. Located between the blower and the rotatable disc is a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel for collecting entrained liquid droplets before they pass into the blower and depositing them into an underlying bath. Circumferentially around the interceptor wheel is a liquid pump that removes liquid from the condenser apparatus. The pump is provided with a structure to reduce liquid leakage into the blower. An electric motor is utilized for rotatably driving all of the rotating elements.

United States Patent [191 Frazar Oct. 28, 1975 CONDENSER APPARATUS [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: General Electric Company,

Louisville, Ky.

22 Filed: Sept. 25, 1974 21 Appl. No.: 509,290

Joseph H. Frazar, Louisville, Ky.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,831,292 8/1974 DePas 34/75 Primary Examiner-C. J. Husar Assistant Examiner-Richard E. Gluck [5 7] ABSTRACT Condenser apparatus for removing moisture from the air including a housing for the condenser apparatus, which housing has both a cooling liquid inlet and an air inlet at one end. Within the housing is a condensing chamber and a rotatable disc spaced inwardly from the liquid inlet so that when the disc is rotated and liquid is impinged upon. the disc a cooling liquid droplet cloud is produced in the condensing chamber. At the opposite end of the condenser housing from the inlet is an air outlet and a concentrically positioned rotatable blower. Located between the blower and the rotatable disc is a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel for collecting entrained liquid droplets before they pass into the blower and depositing them into an underlying bath. Circumferentially around the interceptor wheel is a liquid pump that removes liquid from the condenser apparatus. The pump is provided with a structure to reduce liquid leakage into the blower. An electric motor is utilized for rotatably driving all of the rotating elements.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures US. Patent Oct.28, 1975 SheetlofZ 13,915,596

FIGJ

U.S. Patent Oct. 28, 1975 Sheet 2 of 2 CONDENSER APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to condenser apparatus, and more particularly to condenser apparatus for utilization in an automatic clothes dryer so that warm moistureladen air from the clothes dryer is cooled and moisture removed therefrom.

2. Description of the Prior Art In automatic clothes dryers it is common to vent the warm moisture-laden exhaust air or vapor outside the machine and preferably even outside the house or building while air is constantly being introduced into the clothes dryer, heated and passed over the fabrics to be dried. It is not, however, always possible and, in fact, it may not be desirable to provide such a venting system for automatic clothes dryers in apartments or other high rise housing establishments. In drying fabrics in a clothes dryer it is highly desirable to be able to heat the air, pass the heated air over the fabrics to be dried and withdraw moisture therefrom, remove the hot moisture-laden air from the fabrics and introduce it into an apparatus that lowers the temperature of the moistureladen air thereby condensing out moisture from the air, then recirculate the air through the clothes dryer.

Condensing apparatus has been utilized in laundry machines, both combination clothes washers and dryers and automatic clothes dryers, for many years. One such condensing apparatus is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,451,692 wherein moist air is passed through a water spray from a nozzle that is also used to effect movement of the air and free water from a spray is removed by a stationary screen. Another type of condensing apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,785,557 wherein only a controlled portion of the moist air is passed through a dehumidifier. U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,384 shows apparatus that uses an impeller to circulate air that also has the cooling water discharged directly against the impeller, however, there is no free water collection means provided. U.S. Pat. No. 3,121,000 utilizes a condensing arrangement that produces a coherent film of water on a channel wall to avoid entrainment of water droplets.

A liquid droplet cloud in a condensing chamber through which the hot moisture-laden air from the dryer is passed is quite efficient for lowering the air temperature. However, such a system inherently produces entrainment of the free liquid droplets. It is desirable to collect these droplets and deposit them in an underlying bath before they can leave the condensing chamber. This is particularly desirable when the blower that induces the air flow through the condenser apparatus is in axial alignment with the condensing chamber and downstream from the liquid droplet cloud. Too much entrainment of free liquid can detrimentally affeet the operation of the entire condenser apparatus and reduce the normal life of such an apparatus. Also, since the condenser apparatus may be utilized in an automatic clothes dryer it is desirable to minimize expelling free liquid from the condenser apparatus into the clothes dryer system.

With liquid being introduced into the condenser apparatus to form the liquid droplet cloud and the droplets being collected in the condensing chamber before they pass into the blower area it is necessary to have a pump to remove the liquid from the condensing chamher but yet allow the air to flow in an axial direction from the condensing chamber into the blower area. This is important as if the air flow must take a tortuous path, the power requirements are higher in order to increase the air pressure and push it through the condenser apparatus. To obtain good air flow characteris tics at desirable lower power requirements, one of the areas that has needed improvement is the liquid pump.

Apparatus for removing liquid from condenser appa ratus have been used heretofore. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,921,384 wherein there is disclosed a simple fluid impeller that discharges liquid from the bottom of the condenser unit through a drain hose. Many con denser type units, such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,932,360 and 3,l4l,749, and 3,596,885 use a nondriven drain means at the bottom of the condensing chamber. Often in the case of laundry machines the condensing chamber bottom drain is connected to a separately driven, remotely located pump such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,722,057 and 2,785,557. While such pumps are effective they require extra con nections, driving means and often separate motors.

The pump used in this condenser apparatus must be self-priming and capable of producing at least a 3 or 4 foot head so that when the condenser apparatus is used in a clothes dryer the liquid from the condensing chamber can be emptied into residential sewerage systems without the need of an pump. Such a pump is described herein, however, one difficulty is that because of the pump having stationary walls and rotatable walls that move relative thereto there still may be liquid leakage from the pump area into the blower area. This improvement invention relates to a means for reducing any such leakage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION There is provided a condenser apparatus for removing moisture from the air, particularly a condenser apparatus that is utilized in connection with an automatic clothes dryer, which includes a housing for the condenser apparatus and has both a water or other cooling liquid inlet and an air inlet at one end, an air outlet at the opposite end of the housing, and a condensing chamber therebetween. Means for forming a cloud of liquid droplets in the condensing chamber is also included. Positioned near the air outlet of the condenser apparatus is a means, such as a blower, for inducing an air flow through the condenser apparatus from the air inlet to the air outlet passing through the liquid droplet cloud.

Means for collectingthe liquid droplets before they pass into the blower is provided and arranged to deposit the collected liquid into an underlying bath at the bottom of the condensing chamber. The droplet collecting means is located between the means for forming the droplets and the air flow inducing means. Means for driving all of the rotating components is also provided.

There is a self-priming pump for removing liquid from the condenser chamber, The pump has a stationary circular wall with a venturi liquid inlet at the bottorn that produces a low liquid pressure area in comm unication with the underlying liquid bath in the condensing chamber, and a liquid outlet at the top. A rotatable circular wall is spaced from the stationary wall and means, such as an electric motor, is provided to rotatably drive the rotatable circular wall relative to the stationary wall at a speed sufficient to cause a ring of liquid within the spaced walls to rotate relative to the stationary wall and effect pumping of the liquid out of the outlet.

This invention is an improvement on the self-priming pump described and includes a circular rib extending between the rotating wall and stationary wall, which rib has an opening therethrough and is located at the venturi inlet in the low liquid pressure area.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a side elevational, cross-sectional view of a condenser apparatus utilizing my improved pump arrangement.

FIG. 2 is'a front elevational view of the condenser apparatus shown in FIG. 1 taken along lines 2-2 and partially broken away to illustrate details.

FIG. 3 is a partially cut away perspective view of a condenser apparatus showing my improved pump arrangement in detail.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT With reference to the drawings, the condenser apparatus includes a housing which is cylindrical or drum shaped and has an air inlet 12 located at the front of the condenser unit. Also located at the same end of the condenser housing 10 is a liquid inlet means 14 which may conveniently be a hose or tubular conduit 16 supported by structure 18 secured in a suitable fashion to the condenser housing. The structure 18 secures and positions the tubular conduit 16 substantially on the longitudinal axis of the condenser housing 10 with the end 20 of the conduit 16 directed into the condenser apparatus. The liquid introduced into the condenser apparatus by means of the tubular conduit 16 passes through a solenoid operated control valve (not shown) and is in the form of a stream. Spaced axially from the end 20 is a single rotatable disc 22 (not shown in FIGS. 2 and 3).

At the opposite end of the condenser housing 10 from the liquid inlet means end 20 is a blower 24 for inducing air to flow from the air inlet 12 to'an air outlet 26. The blower in this embodiment consists of a rotatable blower wheel having a plurality of blades 28 secured as by molding to circular plate 30 and a confining air space 32 surrounding the blower wheel for developing sufficient air pressure within the blower to induce the above-mentioned air flow. Positioned within the condenser housing 10 and located between the rotatable disc 22 and the blower 24 is a liquid droplet collecting means 34.

The liquid droplet collecting means 34 is in the form of a rotatable liquid droplet interceptor wheel having a plurality of equally spaced blades 36. The interceptor wheel 34 has a hub 38, the center of which is the axis about which the interceptor wheel rotates. The rear portion of the hub 38 is a hollow cylinder to be received upon the rotatable motor shaft 40 and secured thereto for rotation along with rotation of the motor shaft. The forward portion of the hub 42 'is also a hollow cylinder and it is adapted to receive the rotatable disc 22 for simultaneous rotation also along with the motor shaft. The blades 36 are thin and extend radially outward from the outer surface of the hub 38. The blades are arranged to minimize obstructing the air stream flowing through the interceptor wheel. To support the outer blade edges 44 they are secured to a circumferential ring member 46. The hub 38, blades 36, and outer support ring member 46 may all be integrally formed as by molding with each other from suitable plastic material. In this fashion the entire interceptor wheel is a one-piece molded component structure.

The pump 48 to which this improvement invention relates surrounds the liquid droplet interceptor wheel 34. Pump 48 partly consists of a rotatable inner wall 50 and a stationary outer pump wall 52. The outwardly facing wall surface 54 of inner wall 50 and the inwardly facing wall surface 56 of the outer wall 52 are spaced from each other. Also, forming the front part of the pump 48 is a circular wall member 58 that is rigidly secured to the inside of the condenser housing and depends inwardly therefrom. A back wall 60 of the pump is also provided. The inner, outer, front and back walls cooperate with each other to provide a pump cavity 62 therebetween. At the top of the pump 48 is an outlet 64 which is in communication with the pump cavity 62 through the outer pump wall 52 so that liquid may be removed from and discharged outside the condenser apparatus. Through the circular wall member 58 is an opening 66 communicating with the underlying liquid bath at the bottom of the condensing chamber 68. The purpose of this opening is to allow liquid that accumulates in the bottom of the condensing chamber 68 to pass through the pump wall member 58 and into the pump cavity 62. The inlet to the pump operates on the venturi principle so that the pump 48 is self-priming. That is, there is an increase in velocity of the liquid being pumped that lowers the pressure of that liquid to allow the liquid from the underlying liquid bath to be drawn or sucked into the pump cavity 62. This is achieved by a structural arrangement wherein the inner wall 50 is rotated concentrically and the outer wall 52 is concentric except for a small section at the bottom of the pump that is out-of-round to allow more of a cavity space between the outer pump wall 52 and inner pump wall 50. This additional space at the bottom of the pump provides a small reservoir of liquid for the pump. Concentrically positioned at the bottom of the pump is a ramp member 70 that is an extension of the concentric outer pump wall 52 and has a terminal end 72 at the bottom of the pump just above the opening 66. The ramp is terminated to allow liquid to pass from the pump reservoir into the pump cavity 62 during operation of the pump. The venturi inlet73 is slightly downstream from the ramp terminal end 72 in the direction of rotation of the inner pump wall 50. The venturi effect on the liquid to be pumped will be explained in more detail later.

It will be noted particularly that the pump 48 is circular and is circumferentially located around the interceptor wheel 34 which has a large air opening through the center thereof. As pointed out previously, this is quite advantageous in that it is desirable to have the air flowing through the condenser apparatus encounter only minimum resistance thus reducing the power requirements yet achieve proper air flow. The rotating inner pump wall 50 is carried by, and is integrally molded with, the circumferential ring member 46 of the liquid droplet collecting means 34. Therefore, as the interceptor wheel 34 is rotated the inner pump wall 50 is rotated simultaneously and at the same speed. It is desirable to prevent liquid picked up by the pump from being drawn from the pump 48 into the air stream flowing through the interceptor wheel 34. For this purpose a labyrinth structural arrangement is provided by a circular rearwardly projecting element 74 that depends from circular wall member 58 and is positioned in the open U-shaped portion of the inner pump wall 50 and spaced therefrom. By this arrangemen t'liquid to be pumped from the condenser apparatus is prevented from migrating to the air stream flow and drawn into the blower 24. The centrifugal force exerted by rotation ofinner pump wall 50 will cause the liquid to move into the pump cavity 62 for subsequent removal therefrom. y

In the use of the abovedescribed pump there is still a tendency for liquid to leave the pump area rearwardly in the direction of the blower 24 By my improvement such leakage is reduced and is accomplished by providing a stationary circular rib 75 depending forwardly from the back wall 60. This circular rib 75 is located to be received in a rearwardly directed U-shaped portion 77 of the rotatable inner wall 50. This arrangement provides a labyrinth to help reduce the tendency of liquid to flow or migrate up the back wall 60 toward the center of the condenser whereupon air flow through the center would draw the migrating liquid into the blower 24. Additional circular walls 79 and 81 are'also provided to help block the liquid from being drawn into the air stream behind the liquid droplet collecting means 34 and on into the blower 24.

l have'found that'liquid leaking from the pump area can be returned to the pump cavity 62 'thus reducing the liquid leakage by having an opening 83, preferably in the form of a generally tangential slot, through the circular rib 75 located at the venturi inlet 73 which is the low liquid pressure area and is slightly downstream from the ramp terminal end 72 in the direction of rotation of inner pump wall 50. In this location the-slot 83 allows liquid that builds up to be drawn back into pump cavity 62 because it is in a low pressure area relative to the rest of the pump cavity. It is believed that this low liquid pressure area is created by the ring of liquid being rotated in the pump tending to separate from the rotating inner pump wall 50 due to centrifugal force just downstream from the ramp terminal end 72 or venturi inlet 73 where the inner pump wall 50 and stationary outer pump wall 52 are further apart.

Located at the bottom of the condenser housing is an auxiliary liquid discharge outlet having a sump 76 partially within the housing 10 and an outlet opening 78 outside the housing. Plumbing codes generally require a sufficient air gap in association with the water inlt. so that if a negative pressure is produced in the water line, only air will be taken in. It can be seen in the drawings that if the condenser pump 48 fails to operate, liquid accumulates in the condenser apparatus sump until it overflows, thus providing an air gap in the system between the discharge outlet 78 and liquid inlet end 20.

At the rear of the condenser housing 10 is a rear wall 80 which forms part of the condenser housing. The rear wall 80 together with cylindrical wall section 82 of housing 10 and inwardly directed circular flange 84 form the blower chamber 32. Secured to the rear wall 80 on the opposite side from the blower chamber 32 is an electric motor 86 which may be suitably attached to the rear wall as by bolts 88. The electric motor has a rotatable shaft 40 extending through an aperture 90 in the rear wall 80 close to the central longitudinal axis of the condenser apparatus. Secured to this motor shaft 40, which extends into the condenser housing, are the four rotatable elements of the condenser apparatus. namely, the blower 24, the liquid droplet interceptor wheel 34, inner wall 50 of the pump 48, and the disc 22. The single, motor.;86 rotatably drives all four of these condenser apparatus elements. v s

The operation of the condenser and dryer apparatus is as follows: Hot moisture-laden air, such as perhaps air that has been passed through a clothes dryer drum and picked up moisture from the fabrics tumbled therein, is introduced into the condenser unit through the air inlet opening 12 while a stream ofcooling liquid is being introduced into the condenser unit through tubular conduit 16. Whenthe condenser apparatus is operating the electric rnotor provides for simultaneous rotation of the blower 24, liquid droplet interceptor wheel 34, inner wall 50 of pump 48 and disc 22.-Asdisc 22 is being rotated a stream of liquid being introduced impinges upon the disc and forms liquid droplets 9 2." I

The generally radial flight of the liquid droplets 92 is interrupted by the inner surface 94-of the condenser housing 10 whereupon the liquid droplets are. deflected back toward the center of the condenser chamber 68 this in effect produces a curtain or cloud of liquid droplets within the condensing chamber 68 while the incoming hot moisture-laden air flows through this resultant liquid droplet cloud.

The hot moisture-laden air in contact with the cooler liquid droplets causes the air temperature to be lowered and the moisture condensed therefrom. Because the air flowing through the condenser chamber 68 may entrain some liquid droplets the water droplet collecting means 34 is positioned upstream of the blower24 between the disc 22 and blower 24 so that entrained liquid droplets are essentially collected by the rotating blades 36 and deposited in an underlying liquid bath96 which is in communication with the pump reservoir through an opening 66. It will be understood that simul taneously with the introduction of cooling liquid into during operation of the condenser apparatus. In the op j eration of the condenser apparatus only about half a gallon per minute of liquid is removed.

The liquid is removed from thecondenser apparatus by utilizing the pump 48 described heretofore. The rotating inner pump wall 50 is driven by the electric motor and the revolutions per minute should be such that the ring of liquid captured in the pump cavity 62 is rotated relative to the stationary wall 56 sufficiently to effect pumping of the liquid out of the outlet 64. The pump when arranged to provide a rotating ring ofliquid having a cross-section 1 inch wide by half an inch deep, which approaches its maximum capacity and an average diameter of 7 and a half inches will, when an electric motor turning the rotating inner pump wall 50 at approximately L700 revolutions per minute, rotate the liquid ring at approximately 1,000 revolutions per minthat a venturi at the bottom of the pump will effectively draw liquid from the pump reservoir into the pump cavity. Any liquid that migrates from the pump cavity 62 onto the back wall 60 of the pump will be collected between circular rib 75 and wall 79 then drawn back into the pump cavity 62 through tangential slot 83 into the low pressure area of the pump thus reducing build up ofliquid that could leak or be drawn into the air stream and on into the blower 24.

It is desirable that the pump produce at least a 3 foot head. This is sufficient to pump to a 30 inch high drain stand pipe so that the pump when used in clothes dryers installed in residencies will be suitable for most sewer drainage systems. It will be noted that the wall surfaces of the pump 48 are smooth in order to reduce liquid turbulence in the pump and therefore also noise caused by the liquid turbulence. The wall surfaces in contact with the rotating ring of liquid may, if desired, have paddle projections which will, of course, tend to accelerate the rotation of the liquid ring but it also increases the noise. When the condenser apparatus is used in automatic clothes dryers it is desirable to minimize the noise caused by the liquid turbulence since these appliances are used in homes or other residencies.

The air that has been cooled passes through the interceptor wheel 34 and pump 48 and into the blower 24 which applies air pressure to induce the air flow and force the air out of the condenser apparatus through air outlet 26.

The foregoing is a description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and variations may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a self-priming pump used for removing liquid from a condenser apparatus having a condensing chamher with a bath at the bottom thereof, said pump having:

a. a stationary circular wall and a venturi inlet having a low liquid pressure area at the bottom which inlet is in communication with the bath,

b. a front and rear wall,

c. an outlet at the top.

(I. a rotatable circular wall spaced from the stationary wall between the front and rear wall with air flowing therethrough,

e. means to rotate the rotatable wall about its axis relative to the stationary circular wall at a speed sufficient to cause a ring of liquid within the spaced walls to rotate relative to the stationary circular wall to effect pumping of the liquid out of the outlet,

the improvement comprising a circular rib depending from the rear wall and extending between a portion of the rotating wall and its axis and having an opening through the rib located at the venturi inlet in the low liquid pressure area. i

2. In the self-priming pump of claim 1 wherein th opening through the rib is in the form of a non-radial slot.

3. In the self-priming pump of claim 1 wherein the venturi inlet having a low liquid pressure area is created by a ramp portion in the stationary circular wall that causes the ring of liquid being pumped to separate from the rotatable circular wall.

4. In the self-priming pump of claim 1 wherein the means to rotate the rotatable wall is an electric motor that rotates the rotatable circular pump wall relative to the stationary circular pump wall at a speed sufficient to produce at least a 3 foot head. 

1. In a self-priming pump used for removing liquid from a condenser apparatus having a condensing chamber with a bath at the bottom thereof, said pump having: a. a stationary circular wall and a venturi inlet having a low liquid pressure area at the bottom which inlet is in communication with the bath, b. a front and rear wall, c. an outlet at the top, d. a rotatable circular wall spaced from the stationary wall between the front and rear wall with air flowing therethrough, e. means to rotate the rotatable wall about its axis relative to the stationary circular wall at a speed sufficient to cause a ring of liquid within the spaced walls to rotate relative to the stationary circular wall to effect pumping of the liquid out of the outlet, the improvement comprising a circular rib depending from the rear wall and extending between a portion of the rotating wall and its axis and having an opening through the rib located at the venturi inlet in the low liquid pressure area.
 2. In the self-priming pump of claim 1 wherein the opening through the rib is in the form of a non-radial slot.
 3. In the self-priming pump of claim 1 wherein the venturi inlet having a low liquid pressure area is created by a ramp portion in the stationary circular wall that causes the ring of liquid being pumped to separate from the rotatable circular wall.
 4. In the self-priming pump of claim 1 wherein the means to rotate the rotatable wall is an electric motor that rotates the rotatable circular pump wall relative to the stationary circular pump wall at a speed sufficient to produce at least a 3 foot head. 